The Mental Health Checkpoint is actually the GHQ-28 (General Health Questionnaire). It is a self-administered screening tool developed by Goldberg and Hillier (1979) to detect current, diagnosable psychiatric disorders. It focuses on an individual’s inability to carry out normal functions and the appearance of new, distressing experiences. The GHQ-28 is derived from the original 60-item GHQ through factor analysis and organizes symptoms into four subscales:

1. Somatic Symptoms
2. Anxiety and Insomnia
3. Social Dysfunction
4. Severe Depression

It is suitable for use in general population and primary care settings, and it emphasizes recent (past few weeks) changes in health, rather than chronic conditions or past events.